Family of Woman Fatally Shot by Chicago Police Files Wrongful Death Lawsuit

The family of a mother of five who was "accidentally" killed in a police-involved shooting Saturday on the city's West Side met privately with Mayor Rahm Emanuel. NBC 5's Natalie Martinez reports. (Published Wednesday, Dec. 30, 2015)

The family of a mother of five who was "accidentally" killed in a police-involved shooting on Chicago's West Side has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the city.

Power Rogers and Smith, P.C. said in a release that the officer who fired his weapon at the home of Bettie Jones on Dec. 26 "knew or should have known that one or more innocent persons were inside the property."

The release states that Jones never posed a danger or threat of harm to police or any other person. It also states that she never possessed a firearm and that there was no probable cause or legal justification to fire at her.

The suit also alleges that an officer told one of Jones' five children as she was asking for help that her mother was dead and that she needed to "get over it." The suit includes a claim for unintentional emotional distress for her daughter as a result of the shooting.

Emanuel on New Taser Policy: 'Force Can Be the Last Option'

Mayor Rahm Emanuel announced Wednesday a major overhaul to the way Chicago police officers are trained, including a new requirement that mandates every officer responding to a call be equipped with a Taser. NBC 5's Phil Rogers reports.

(Published Wednesday, Dec. 30, 2015)

The city has yet to respond to NBC Chicago's request for comment.

Police have admitted Jones’ shooting was an accident, saying she was tragically killed while officers were responding to a domestic disturbance call on the city’s West Side. Quintonio LeGrier was also killed in the shooting after allegedly threatening his father with a metal baseball bat.

However, police and Mayor Rahm Emanuel have said little else about what happened the night of the shooting, citing the ongoing investigation by the city's Independent Police Review Authority.

Cook County State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez said last Thursday she has asked the FBI to assist an investigation into the fatal shootiing of the 55-year-old.

"This is a deeply disturbing incident that demands a very deliberate and meticulous independent investigation," Alvarez said in a statement. "At this stage, the investigation is being conducted by IPRA, but my office has also contacted the FBI to request their involvement as well."